Maimonides

Philosopher

1135-03-30

Books by Maimonides

The guide of the perplexed of Maimonides
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Mishneh Torah (Codification of Talmudic laws)
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Igrot ha-Rambam

she-baʼu elaṿ mi-mizraḥ umi-maʻarav mi-tsafon umi-yam me-ḥakhme Tsarefat u-Sefarad ṿe-Teman u-Vavel.
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Quotes by Maimonides

The person who wishes to attain human perfection should study logic first, next mathematics, then physics, and, lastly, metaphysics.
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Your purpose...should always be to know...the whole that was intended to be known.
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You should recognize that man's soul, this single entity whose powers and parts we have described, may be compared to matter, and that the power of reasoning is its completed form. As long as the soul lies dormant and does not acquire its form from knowledge, then the nature of the soul is useless and exists in vain.
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For the elements have the property of moving back to their place in a straight line, but they have no properties which would cause them to remain where they are, or to move other-wise than in a straight line, These rectilinear motions of these four elements when returning to their original place are are of two kinds, either centrifugal,vziz.>the motion of the air and the fire; or centripedal,viz.> the motion of the earth, and the water; and when the elements have reached their original place, they remain at rest.
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Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.
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Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it.
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The person who wishes to attain human perfection should study logic first, next mathematics, then physics, and, lastly, metaphysics.
Read quote
You should recognize that man's soul, this single entity whose powers and parts we have described, may be compared to matter, and that the power of reasoning is its completed form. As long as the soul lies dormant and does not acquire its form from knowledge, then the nature of the soul is useless and exists in vain.
Read quote
For the elements have the property of moving back to their place in a straight line, but they have no properties which would cause them to remain where they are, or to move other-wise than in a straight line, These rectilinear motions of these four elements when returning to their original place are are of two kinds, either centrifugal,vziz.>the motion of the air and the fire; or centripedal,viz.> the motion of the earth, and the water; and when the elements have reached their original place, they remain at rest.
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Your purpose...should always be to know...the whole that was intended to be known.
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You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.
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It is thus necessary to examine all things according to their essence, to infer from every species such true and well established propositions as may assist us in the solution of metaphysical problems.
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If the whole earth is infinitely small in comparison with the sphere of the stars, what is man compared with all these created beings!
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Now, we occupy a lowly position, both in space and rank in comparison with the heavenly sphere, and the Almighty is Most High not in space, but with respect to absolute existence, greatness and power.
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Man's shortcomings and sins are all due to substance of the body and not to its form, while all his merits are exclusively due to his form.
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Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
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Teach thy tongue to say 'I do not know', and thou shalt progress.
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Be convinced that, if man were able to reach the end without preparatory studies, such studies would not be preparatory but tiresome and utterly superfluous.
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To the totality of purposes of the perfect Law there belong the abandonment, depreciation, and restraint of desires in so far as possible.
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Transient bodies are only subject to destruction through their substance and not through their form, nor can the essence of their form be destroyed; in this respect, they are permanent.
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